Samurai - very similar to FW, don't you think?

Paul

Paul, to my very un-expert eye, it looks maybe identical. Are the margins a bit wider, perhaps? Any distinctions you can see?

Thanks,
Don B.

From Hostapedia - supposed to be an improvement of FW, but Zilis notes - that he has never been able to see any difference between the two, except for a bit less spring dessication burn on the leaves of Samurai. I note - Samurai suffers from dessication as well. Here is an exceptional specimen from a garden tour.

Paul

Beautiful photo, Paul, thanks for posting it. The margins do seem a tad wider/more irregular, but perhaps my FW is just young by comparison.

Looking ahead to the Winter Hosta Alphabet, Queen of Islip can make a showing in the scant "Q" section.

But no thanks, I won't get one myself. I'll look at the sports page, but will seek "Q" clearances elsewhere.

Friends don't give friends FW family...

yeah, Frances Williams looks pretty good for much of the season some years in my very deep shade spot...

but why - with all the great looking hostas out there that don't have the defective genes that produce spring desication - why would we keep producing and circulating these plants?

Q. Why do you keep banging your head against the wall???

A. Because it feels so good when I stop!!!

"Friends don't give friends FW family... "

I'd take Dorothy Benedict from a friend anytime.......

Paul

I agree with Paul, also a DB for me please!

There are several good pictures of h. 'Queen of Islip' in the HostaLibrary.org.

I like FW, have them a long time, have one beautiful large one with wide borders. So what when some leaves get some frost burn, others plants burn up in summer in the heat much worse. And as we all know there are attacks by many insects and critters.
Bernd

I agree with paul and bern. Frances Williams started my love affair with hosta. She may be common and all over my community but she is still stunning. I have moved her all over my yard and each time she adapts and looks good.

Here she is in May 2011 in a bucket

Then I planted her on the south side of my property along my fence July 2012

Then I wanted to show her off in the front of my property because I think she's a show stopper so I dug her up again and planted her on the west side (gets afternoon sun). Here she is May 2013

Then here she is now and I LOOOOVE the effect the hot afternoon sun has had on her. She lost some of her blue from the heat and she is even more interesting to me now.

I just LOVE Frances Williams